Take 10 years off your image

Take 10 years off your imageTake 10 years off your imageSuggestions on how take 10 years off your image and be perceived as more youthful in the office.How old an impression do you make when youre interviewing? Of course, we all know that an interviewer can just count backwards from the year of graduation printed on your resume. However, here is the truth Perception is the new reality, like 60 is the new 50. So you need to learn the fine art of being perceived as younger as well as looking younger. Its more than just the way you look.Is this fair? Is it even legal? And most importantly, should you give in to such nonsense? Ill put it this way If you are over 40, you need to read on.The recession weve all been feeling for months is now official. So now bosses can use that magic R word as a blank check to fire almost anyone for any reason. And pay attention, over-40s The wounded economy is an especially perfect opportunity for higher-ups to fire those senior workers whose high wages an d big egos have outlasted their welcome.For those who are unemployed, you must do whatever it takes to convey to hiring managers that you are employable. What does this mean? No one wants to hire someone whos stuck in the old-fashioned way of thinking that being qualified, working hard and being loyal to a company is enough. Your Princeton degree and enviable references wont get you far if youre that nave.So back to the age thing.While many workers have learned that good looks and a polished appearance go a long way toward success in the workplace, too many of them fail to realize that cultivating the perception of youth and a hip attitude is an equally important part of the equation. Its no secret that we live in an age-obsessed society. Like it or not, interviewing younger is the new catchphrase. Interviewing younger and being perceived as more youthful at the office is a vocabulary, a body language and a look. And heres a secret These rules apply even more when your boss is your age or even older. Its not like you are following these rules to impress a young person. Whatever the age of your boss or interviewer, you need to create a youthful perception about yourself. Otherwise, theres someone else waiting in the wings with quicker computer skills and contemporary pop-culture knowledge who will be all too happy to fill your shoes.So how do you do it? Here are some of the secrets in my new book, Bulletproof Your Job (HarperCollins), use them to remind yourself how to hold onto your job while those around you are losing theirs)Rule 1 Crest Whitestrips.Yup, this is a shallow, cosmetic-based tip. But I get so many letters from people who just dont understand that having coffee-stained teeth doesnt do you any favors in the interview department. Stop rolling your eyes go buy the strips (use the store brand for all I care Im not picky) and whiten those teeth. Then smile. Smiling makes you look and feel younger not bitter, old and unemployed. I dont care if you re ally are bitter, old and unemployed. Its about perception, remember?Rule 2 If you are over 40, I want you on Facebook today.No friends? You already have one just Facebook me. If you dont know how to join, let your kids show you, or even better, have a young person at work reverse mentor you on how it works. Let that saatkorn person help you choose your profile picture. Seriously. Read our coverage on how social networking plays a role in the job search.Rule 3 Know about and frequently use Google and Wikipedia.Bookmark them on your computer, and set one as your homepage.Rule 4 Watch an geschehnis of Family Guy.Discuss. Repeat.Rule 5 Peruse your local Apple store.At least learn the difference between an iPod Classic, iPod Touch and iPod Nano and youre on your way. And buy a set of those identifiable white headphones to keep around, even if you dont have the iPod to go with them. Its all about perception.Rule 6 Do not disclose your SAT scores.If for some ungodly reason you still rememb er your SAT scores, keep them to yourself. Not only does no one care, but the scoring isnt even the same anymore, and youll just wind up aging yourself.Rule 7 Dont talk about how youre so addicted to Starbucks.Or Coffee Bean, or whatever your coffee place of choice is. It landseems like this would make you appear younger, but it wont. Starbucks screams unemployed loser. Besides, you should never walk into an interview with a coffee cup, especially since you just whitened those teeth.Rule 8 Pick up a copy of Entertainment Weekly before an interview.But for Gods sake, dont take it in with you and dont let anyone see you reading it. That said, nothing gets you more up to date on the youthful world of pop culture like an issue of EW.Rule 9 Learn how to text.Rule 10 Lose the paper. Young people get their news online they dont read newspapers. So dont carry one into an interview with you or be seen reading it at the office like someones mom or dad.Rule 11 Brush up on sports.This is easy you can still get away with talking about Michael Phelps and get credit for this one. Bonus points for knowing whos in the NCAA tournament.Rule 12 Make eye contact.Eye contact is so critical to being perceived as young dont be afraid to use it.Rule 13 Rarely refer to your children.Never refer to your grandchildren and never ever your great-grandchildren.Rule 14 Go to the gym.Or at least say that you do.Rule 15 Never talk about the 80s or 90s.Never use words from your day. Nothing at work is groovy, dy-no-mite, or tubular. Ever.Rule 16 Get a TiVo or DVR.Know how they work.Rule 17 Practice sounding young on the phone.Take a small survey of how old you sound on the phone, and then practice with a friend sounding younger. (A tip Talk higher and peppier.) This is critical. In the same vein, make sure your outgoing voicemail message isnt too long or boring. Short and sweet with a positive attitude is all you need.Rule 18 Dress is very important always dress age-appropriate.No 40+ man shou ld be wearing an Abercrombie Fitch T-shirt. For more tips on updating your look without looking too young, review Ladders recent coverage on losing the frump factor.Rule 19 Give your hairstyle a long, hard look.No wonder there are so many makeover shows My advice is to ask an outsider his or her opinion. Someone who loves you wont want to hurt your feelings or may love your look for sentimental or romantic reasons but sadly, that wont help you find a job. A bad coloring job spells disaster for both men and women, and lets face it, hair weaves for men rarely work. Men, dont go overboard on finding a new hairstyle just clip your nose and ear hair and youre on the right track. Ladies, pluck or bleach facial hair.Rule 20 Skip the cologne and excessive perfume.And while were on the subject, wear deodorant. You may laugh, but many people just dont do it.Okay Feel any younger, or just berated?Trust me, I just took 15 years off the way you come across. Yeah, some things I talk about here are cosmetic, but most are not. Its all about perception and perception is the new reality.